Dr. Belzer has served as HCMC’s Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer since 1990. He also serves as Medical Director for Hennepin County’s Community Health Department and Associate Dean for the University of Minnesota Medical School. Prior to becoming Medical Director, he served as the Associate HCMC Medical Director for Academic Affairs. Dr. Belzer is a practicing Medical Hematologist and Oncologist with subspecialty and specialty board certification in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of Hennepin Medical Society (now known as the Twin Cities Medical Society) that represented over 4000 Metro physicians. Dr. Belzer is on the Executive Committee Board for America’s Essential Hospitals, and was the former Board Chair of Hospice of the Twin Cities and the National Public Health and Hospital Institute. Dr. Belzer is past recipient of the Minnesota Medical Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award and he won the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award from the University Medical School in 2004.

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) has successfully achieved re-verification by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as a Level I Adult Trauma Center and a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. HCMC was the first hospital in Minnesota to achieve this status, and in 2014 it will mark its 25th year as a Level I Trauma Center.

Dr. Arthur Ney

“HCMC’s dual verification ensures that we are able to provide the highest level of trauma care to patients of all ages, and allows us to keep families together,” explains Dr. Arthur Ney, Trauma Medical Director of HCMC’s Trauma Services.

“It takes a complex, professional team from the entire institution to ensure that every detail is addressed for each trauma patient. The site survey by the American College of Surgeons is an intense process and we appreciate the efforts from everyone at HCMC in meeting the requirements. It’s always an honor to achieve re-verification.”

“HCMC has a long history of providing quality care to critically ill and injured children,” says Dr. Donavon Hess, Pediatric Trauma Medical Director of HCMC’s Pediatric Trauma Services. “The ACS pediatric reviewer was impressed with the high degree of injury acuity of our pediatric trauma patients, the coordinated care provided by all the specialty trauma services, and the exceptional outcomes of our patients.”

To be verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I Trauma Center, an institution is measured against national guidelines and standards of care that ensure that trauma centers provide an organized and systemic approach to the care of the injured patient. Essential elements include highly trained personnel, state-of-the-art facilities, and ongoing performance improvement activities.

“HCMC has a well-established culture of providing pediatric trauma care that is evident from the moment the child enters our doors until the time of discharge and follow-up care,” Dr. Hess continues. “My partners and I are happy to be providing comprehensive pediatric surgical services, including trauma, neonatal, acute care and elective surgery at HCMC.”

Hennepin County Medical Center is a comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital with the largest emergency department in the state. In addition to the 462-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located in downtown Minneapolis, Hennepin offers primary care clinics in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County.

A motor vehicle collision (MVC) on a snowy rural highway or a remote farm accident. A hostile scene, unsafe for ambulance personnel to enter. A violent and out-of-control individual who may be sick, intoxicated, or in autistic crisis. A call … Continue reading →

Bernie the Rescue Dog visited the poison look-alikes display at Hennepin Regional Poison Center today where he learned how some medications and cleaners can look like candy, juice or soda. Can you tell the difference?

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Thankfully professionals from Hennepin Regional Poison Center and Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Edward Ehlinger were on hand to explain the differences and save Bernie from making a big mistake.

The Hennepin Regional Poison Center is free and confidential, and staffed by specially trained pharmacists who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Just call 1-800-222-1222 for any poison emergency or go to www.mnpoison.org for more information about the Hennepin Regional Poison Center.

Health care leaders from the United Kingdom will join Minnesota health care executives, trustees, and physician leaders to talk about the transition to integrated care systems at a forum at Hennepin County Medical Center on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The forum title is “Governing for Innovation in Health Care Delivery” and it will feature Minnesota and U.K. health care leaders sharing their perspectives and experience with integrated systems from the exam room to the board room.

The U.K. executives and trustees are in Minnesota next week to explore integrated care and innovation at the policy, provider, payer and patient level. Their topics of study include how payers and providers can work together to create integrated care systems, how the health care system can build a capability for greater innovation, and the governance and leadership that is necessary to support innovation. Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Hospital Association, the Governance Institute, USA and Judge Business School and Cambridge Health Network, U.K. are the sponsors of the study tour for the U.K. delegates and the event on June 7.